At Ethical Partners, we firmly believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and cultures should be celebrated in the institutions and fabric of modern Australia. We further believe that there is an urgent need for substantive social, political, and structural reform to recognise and respect First Nations peoples’ rights and culture, which should be led by First Nations voices and wisdom consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. In that regard, we have heard and acknowledge the sadness and pain many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have felt and are still experiencing following the Voice referendum and remain committed to listening to First Nations’ perspectives on how we can continue to play an active role in supporting reconciliation.
We are therefore actively participating in NAIDOC week, through training and external events, and as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan commitments. NAIDOC week is one of many opportunities throughout the year to celebrate and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ history, culture, and achievements. This year’s NAIDOC week theme is “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, celebrating the enduring strength of First Nations culture and survival and relentless spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It is an invitation for all Australians to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue and utilise their position to build a society that values and respects First Nations’ wisdom and contributions. We were delighted to attend our first event for NAIDOC week yesterday at the Redfern Community Centre to listen and learn from community. Our staff’s key learnings and takeaways were:
- “Reflecting on our various conversations with community groups, we heard there is budding resources and support for local First Nations peoples’ physical health, psychological safety, nutrition, and legal needs. However, it was disheartening to reflect that a big gap around financial services support and education still exists” – Mayleah House, Head of Stewardship
- “The morning was a great opportunity to listen, learn and understand the immense issues facing indigenous communities here in Sydney and also experience the proud heritage of First Nations people. We spoke to some amazing groups that are at the forefront of health, legal and nutrition assistance and education, while also seeing the need for further financial inclusion in these communities”- Nathan Parkin, Investment Director
- “Talking to the members from different services at the Redfern Community Centre served as an important reminder not just that there are multiple intersecting issues that First Nations people face, but that society collectively still has a long way to go to close the gap. The organisations all provided excellent resources and insights that can be used for learning further on how to bridge the gap between the financial services sector and First Nations peoples” - Helena Gandhi, Sustainability Analyst
- “The NAIDOC community day was a good chance to connect and refresh our understanding of the challenges facing indigenous Australians. We engaged with several community groups that were doing their best to support Indigenous peoples of Australia but require more funding and community engagement. We came away with new ideas about how we might further assist going forward” - Sam Cox, Investment Analyst
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the organisers of the event, and to the wonderful organisations and individuals who spoke to us about their work including:
- Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited a free community legal service and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ justice and equity.
- Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation who provide services to survivors of the Kinchela Boys Home and their families and support other Stolen Generation survivors.
- TAFE NSW who are providing a range of Aboriginal Cultures and Education courses to learn deeply about Aboriginal culture, language and heritage.
- Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up! who are dedicated to improving health outcomes of Indigenous Australians and provide a useful app to simply determine the nutrition value of certain foods.
Members of the Ethical Partners team are also excited to attend the screening of UNDERMINED – Tales from the Kimberley later this week. This year’s NAIDOC week runs until Sunday, 14 July. You can find more information about local NAIDOC week events here.
